Captured

Clary sat in her room at the Institute sketching in her notepad; trying to draw Jace even though she could never get his features just right on paper. For what seemed like the hundredth time, she crumpled up her paper and threw it on the wooden floor along with the others. She heard laughter coming from the door, and looked up to see Jace standing in the door frame. The dim light in the room catching the gold sparks in his eyes.

“What?” Clary said, obviously frustrated.

“Nothing,” he replied, with a smirk on his face. “You just look so adorable when you’re frustrated.” Clary just gave him a death glare from across the room telling him to shut up. “What are you trying to do?” he asked.

“Nothing, it’s embarrassing, just forget it,” she replied looking down at the ground. Jace walked away from the door frame and bent down to pick up a ball of paper. “No, Jace really--” but it was too late, he smirked as he took a look at her drawings, that same smirk that she fell in love with the first day she met him. He walked over and sat on the bed with her; still staring at the drawing that was obviously supposed to be him.

“This is really good, Clary,” he said.

“No it’s not; I can never draw you right on paper,” she replied, leaning her head on his shoulder.

“I know, I know. It is incredibly hard to put all this,” he said gesturing to himself, “all on one little piece of paper. I mean, I’m stunning, aren’t I?”

“Of course you are,” she muttered under her breath. She looked down at her feet nervously, which were dangling next to Jace’s off the side of the bed. Jace placed the drawing down and looked at her intently, while grabbing her shoulders.

“Are you okay?”Jace asked her, with worry written all over his face, but she wouldn’t meet his eyes. “Clary?” he asked again, his voice tighter than before. She looked up at him, and her piercing green eyes had a glassy look to them. A tear rolled down her cheek, and Jace pulled her in for a hug, trying to sooth her with his embrace. “What’s wrong Clary?” he asked again, still hugging her tightly; her face against his chest.

She looked up at him again, and he noticed that there were bags under her eyes. “I am scared Jace,” she said, sounding like she were about to burst out in tears again. He looked at her with questioning in his eyes, telling her to go on. “Ever since Sebastian left that note in the library I’ve had troubles sleeping and I’ve been stressing out, a-and I am just s-so scared that he’s going to come back.” She said the last part in a whisper, but Jace could still hear her.

“You know that I would never let anything happen to you. He will never touch you okay?” he said, but she just shook her head and refused to meet his gaze again.

“I’m not just scared about myself Jace,” she whispered, looking up at his golden eyes. “I’m scared about him hurting you, Izzy, Alec, Simon, Magnus, anyone. It terrifies me that you all could get hurt because of me; because of my stupid psychotic brother.” He hugged her once again, his head resting on top of hers, and their legs tangled together by the edge of the bed.

“No one blames you, Clary. You’ve become a part of our family, and we all love you so much,” he said, as he pulled away from her once again. “Me especially,” he said with a smirk on his face. She shakily let out a laugh.

“I love you so much,” she said, with small smile on her face.

“I love you to,” he replied, and tilted his head down to kiss her. It was a small kiss, nothing special, but it still made Clary feel as though there were butterflies in her stomach. In the middle of the kiss they heard footsteps at the door and they sprung apart instantly.

“Oh my god,” Izzy said, while her hands were covering her eyes. She looked stunning as always in her black shadowhunting gear and her high heeled boots. “You guys need to learn to close the doors. You are so lucky it is me and not mom who came in here.” She removed her hands from her eyes and placed them on her hips; giving them a glare and a smirk.

“What do you want Isabelle?” Jace replied, “As you can see we,” pointing between himself and Clary, “were in the middle of something.”

“Look there was a report of demons downtown, and Alec wants to go.” Izzy said.

Jace sighed and looked from Isabelle back down to Clary. He put his hand against her cheek. “I have to go,” he said with a sad smile on his face, “but I promise that when I get back that we can finish where we left off.” He whispered with a smirk.

Clary narrowed her determined eyes at him. “Why can’t I go?” she asked, the stubbornness coming out in her voice.

“I don’t want you to get hurt, Clary. You’re still in training and I don’t want to risk it yet.” He replied. She sighed and then gestured towards the door, which indicated that he could go. He smiled and stood up; kissing her on the forehead. “I love you.” He said before running out the door to get ready.

“He’ll be fine Clary, we’ll all be fine, we always are.” Izzy said from the doorway, noticing Clary’s anxious look.

“I know, but you can’t blame me for worrying sometimes. I just hate sitting here doing nothing, I feel completely useless,” she sighed inwardly.

“I get it, but you know it’s just Jace being…well Jace,” she chuckled, “you know he’s over-protective and would do anything to keep you safe.” Clary nodded and waved goodbye to Izzy as she left the room to find her brothers. Clary picked up her sketchpad one more time and attempted to draw Jace once again.

---

After an hour of waiting for Alec, Isabelle, and Jace to come back Clary put her sketchbook down on the bed, feeling somewhat satisfied with her drawing of Jace. She left her room and was automatically drawn to the heavenly smell coming from the kitchen. Once she had walked to the kitchen, she peered in and saw Maryse cooking. “Maryse, that smells amazing!” Clary exclaimed.

“Oh, thank you, I was just trying to make something for Jace, Alec, and Isabelle for when they come back. They’re always hungry these days,” she replied, laughing lightly. Clary nodded and then went to sit down at the table in the kitchen. Maryse took her apron off and turned around to look at Clary with an anxious look on her face. “I was just about to run to the store. Is that okay? Are you comfortable with being alone for about ten minutes?” she asked.

The truth was that Clary was horrified with being left in the Institute alone with what just happened, but she didn’t want to make things harder for anyone else so she just agreed. “I’m fine Maryse. I mean Jace and the others should be home soon anyways.”

“Okay, thank you,” she said, while grabbing her keys and purse, “I will be back very soon, and don’t worry about the oven or anything. The food is just being kept warm right now.” Then she left, smiling at Clary on her way out.

The Institute was very quiet when there was nobody else in it. Every once in a while Clary would hear the house settling, but she kept reminding herself it was fine. Growing more and more worried as she sat alone at the wooden table in the kitchen by herself; she decided to go back to her room. At least there she could keep her mind off of things by drawing. They’ll be back soon she kept telling herself, even though she was as anxious as she has ever been. As she was a couple feet to her bedroom, she noticed something through the open door. Her sketchbook wasn’t on the bed anymore where she left it last.

Clary could hear her heart start to grow louder in her chest. She told herself to stop worrying and to go look for her sketchbook. What else was she going to do? She couldn’t just run away; she had nowhere to go. She tiptoed into her room slowly, the wood beneath her creaking with every step she took. Once she entered her room, she crouched down to look under her bed. Nothing was under the bed but a lot of dust and some clothes. If Jace ever saw this he would want to clean it immediately she thought to herself. Still under the bed, she felt the breeze coming through her open window – did she open her window? Her heart starting pounding again and her whole body froze when she heard a male voice come from behind her.

“Looking for something sweetheart?” he asked in a sickly tone. She stayed where she was; afraid to stand up and see the person just behind her. “You know are very talented,” he continued, “but it would be nice if you were to draw less pictures of angel boy.”

Very slowly Clary began to stand up. As she turned around she saw slicked, white hair and pitch black eyes, staring intensely at her; it was like looking into a black hole. In his rough hands was her sketchbook, which was flipped open to the picture of Jace she had been working on only an hour ago. She looked at the picture wishing that he could just magically pop out of the page to come and save her, but she knew that would never happen. She hoped that she didn’t look as terrified as she felt in that moment.

“I missed you Clarissa, my darling sister.” He said with an evil smirk plastered onto his face.

She looked back up hesitantly into his black, lifeless eyes. Looked up at the one person she never wanted to see again.

Her brother.

Sebastian.